<sect1 id="preface-start">
  <title>Welcome to Gnumeric</title>

  <para>
    <application>Gnumeric</application> is a spreadsheet created by the
    <ulink type="http" url="http://www.gnome.org/">GNOME</ulink> project.
    This manual describes version 1.0.
  </para>

  <para>
    <application>Gnumeric</application> aims for &mdash;
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <guilabel>Stability</guilabel> &mdash;
	  <application>Gnumeric</application> has undergone
	  significant amounts of testing with a diverse group of
	  users.  There is also a large set of test workbooks to
	  validate the quality of the importers.  This release can be
	  considered safe for use in a production environment.
	</para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <guilabel>File compatibility</guilabel> &mdash;
	  Transparent access and manipulation of files from other applications
	  is vital in a modern office.  <application>Gnumeric</application> can
	  read files from several well known proprietary and free spreadsheets
	  including MS Excel (tm), Lotus 1-2-3 (tm), Applix (tm), Psion, Sylk,
	  XBase Oleo, and HTML.  It can also export to MS Excel (tm) along with
	  several open formats such as LaTeX \longtables, HTML, roff.  Rounding
	  out the i/o routines is a highly configurable text importer/exporter
	  to ensure that data can be transfered smoothly.  New formats can
	  easily be added in a modular fashion via a plug-in.
	</para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <guilabel>Minimal cost of transition</guilabel> &mdash;
	  Learning new and unfamiliar interfaces is an expensive and frustrating
	  process.  <application>Gnumeric</application> attempts to offer
	  optional extensions and enough compatibility that a user's
	  familiarity with other applications will still apply.
	</para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <guilabel>Sufficient feature set</guilabel> &mdash;
	  While people may quote the statistic that most users only need 20% of
	  the features in some products that is not entirely true.  Most need a
	  common 10% and then some non-overlapping collection for the other 10%.
	  Implementing enough of the features to support day to day use by the
	  average spreadsheet user has taken time.  However, just having the
	  feature listed as a bullet point does little for a user.
	  <application>Gnumeric</application> has attempted to only provide
	  full implementations of the features it offers, preferring to leave a
	  feature out, rather than provide something that is only useful in a
	  screen-shot.
	</para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
	<para>
	  <guilabel>Internationalization</guilabel> &mdash;
	  <application>Gnumeric</application> has been translated into 29
	  languages, and is being used by people around the globe in their
	  native locales.
	</para>
      </listitem>

      <listitem>
      <para>
	<guilabel>Openness and Scalability</guilabel> &mdash;
	Gnumeric is <ulink type="http"
	url="http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">free
	software</ulink>  	released under the
	<ulink type="http" url="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html">GNU
	GPL</ulink>.  It's core architecture has also seen a lot of design work
	to ensure that it can comfortably scale to moderately large loads (1M
	cells) while remaining usable on older hardware.  The availability of
	clean reasonably documented source makes it simple to do things like
	change the maximum size of a sheet.
      </para> 
      </listitem>

    </itemizedlist> 
  </para>

  <figure id="sample-gnumeric.png">
    <title>An example of what Gnumeric can do.</title>
    <screenshot>
      <graphic fileref="figures/preface-screenshot.png" format="png"></graphic>
    </screenshot>
  </figure>

  <para>
    This picture, <xref linkend="sample-gnumeric.png">, shows some of the advanced
    functionality of <application>Gnumeric</application>. These include support
    for graphing and embedding other GNOME programs.
  </para>

  <!-- This section can simply link to the mini-tutorial once that is written.-->
  <sect2 id="Preface-starting">
    <title>Getting Started Using Gnumeric.</title>
    <para>
      The best way to learn how to use
      <application>Gnumeric</application> is to begin exploring the
      program yourself. Enter some data into cells by clicking on the
      cell, typing a number and hitting
      return. <application>Gnumeric</application>  supports
      different kinds of data such as numbers, dates, currency and
      text by formating each kind of data differently and by
      calculating results appropriate to each data type. To learn more
      look at <xref linkend="editing">.
    </para>

    <para>
      Write a formula by clicking on an empty cell, typing the equals key,
      clicking on a second cell that has a number, typing the minus key, typing
      2 and hitting return. The number you see should be the number in the
      second cell minus two. Try changing the number in the second cell and
      watch <application>Gnumeric</application> automatically re-calculate the
      result. For more powerful functions see <xref
      linkend="formulas"> later in this manual.
    </para>

    <para>
      You can format the data, by changing the text color, adding borders and
      changing the placement. Explore the bottom toolbar and the menu that
      opens when you click on a cell with the rightmost mouse button. Look at 
      <xref linkend="formatting"> later in this manual. </para>
    <para>
      If you would like to learn more about
      <application>Gnumeric</application>, read this manual, visit the 
      <ulink type="http" url="http://www.gnumeric.org">home page</ulink>,
      ask friends who use spreadsheets or read a book on how to use MS
      Excel (tm). 
      If you have questions you can also send them to the
      <ulink type="http" url="http://www.gnome.org/mailing-lists/archives/gnumeric-list">Gnumeric mailing list</ulink>.
    </para>
  </sect2>
</sect1>
